Gearing Up for the Holidays

 You probably saw our recent post where I talked about all the new Non-Floral items we have coming into the shop. It's been fun going out  on a bit of a limb this past year to bring in broader range of products in to the store. We've been doing our $5 Friday Flowers for over a  year now and between the 2 shops, we have over 30 folks come in for their fresh bouquets each week.

That got us to thinking because once our loyal customers were coming in for those bouquets, many were surprised to see the wide selection of items were carried such as greeting cards, candy, plush animals, plants, candles and even jewelry.

Once I realized that our "foot traffic" was on the rise, currently running 100% ahead of last year, I knew it was time to bring in more products and even broaden our existing lines. I think it's been a great decision for us and customers seem to be loving it.

 As with any product expansion, it's super important to closely monitor what sells and what doesn't and what we found is the our customers love seasonal items.

Last year for Christmas we brought in a pretty selection gift and home decor items such as Christmas ornaments, wine glasses, table top pieces such as plates and bowls, holiday related throw pillows, mugs, wine stoppers not to mention the usual items we stocked such plush animals, chocolates, candles, poinsettias and balloons.

Well, we had such success with all those gift items that we ended up needing to restock before the holiday was over. Now fast forward to 2012 and on heels of such a successful Christmas we decided to really do up the Halloween, Fall and Thanksgiving line as well as ramp up for a big selling season in the "Non-Floral" category. We've expanded our line of jewelry, brought in a line of ladies pocket books, many different household items for fall such as cookies jars, tea pots, pitchers, serving platters, salt and pepper shakers and more.

 So far, everything seems to be selling very well, with Halloween being the hardest sell because although our items are adorable, there are so many retailers competing in this category. I still feel that most items will sell out.

Now looking towards fall we have brought in a wider selection of decorative containers to use in creating our floral designs. Like this one to the left... a pretty leaf design makes this arrangement a bit more unusual and the container is actually a candle holder. Who ever gets this is going to enjoy the flowers and then have a lovely keepsake for future enjoyment.

Another way we have been expanding our line is by bringing in more unusual varieties of flowers. We have already prided ourselves on having a wide selection of super fresh flowers but with folks able to spend a bit more than they could a couple of years ago while trying to stand out, we finally able to bring in more unique flowers. Although some have a higher price tag, the rarity of some of the blooms more than makes up for the price difference.

Well, there you have it, we are gearing up for the holidays not only with our core products and services but with expanded items for our website and walk in customers. We're more than just flowers and if you are anywhere near either of our stores, we'd love for you come visit us!! 45 E. Afton Avenue, Yardley, PA and Princeton Forrestal Village, Princeton NJ!